My dead kingdom
by Anki-chan
Summary: While their travels continues, Fay starts having repeating nightmares about his childhood. However, the dreams keeps changing each night. His companions tries to help, but all answers might come in the next world, as they are captured in an seemingly never-ending mystery. (Heavily implied KuroFay, just like the manga).(Complete)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: I own nothing here, it all belongs to Clamp ^.^

Pairing: KuroFay hinted as much as Clamp does it, so you know it is there.

 **My Dead Kingdom**

 _ **Part 1**_

The only happy memories Fay had from his childhood, was the time before his father died, and before his mother was struck by grief. His first memory had been a warm embrace, and the echoes of his twin's heartbeats close to his own, under the warm gaze of their mother. Even if they were twins, their mother had loved them in the start, and treasured them over her own life.

Fay never understood it at the time how it had changed, but when he understood what it meant to be dead, he understood that his father would never return. However, it took more years before he understood why he and his brother being born was so bad. For some reason, people had said it was better if only one of them had been born. Just the thought of that had been so alien to him. Why should only one of them be born? When each other were the only ones they had?

In time he had understood it wasn't that people wanted them to be unhappy, it had been because they had made people unhappy. Slowly and surely, the world broke down, and as far as he knew, the world where he had been born and had few happy memories, had been dead when he left, as his uncle had killed everyone.

However, lately, each night he would dream of that world. Each night he would dream of the entire horror that was his childhood. Yet, each time there was one little detail that would change something, but never enough for the end to change.

An ever-repeating nightmare, which never felt like the same dream, and each time he woke from it, the last he would remember was the insane face of his uncle, which seemed sadder and sadder each time he cut the nightmare in half.

"You are moving around too much." A grumpy snort and he looks over at the source of the voice.

"Kuro-myu is the one that keeps moving so close." Fay cheers, as he turns towards his roommate. The tired Kurogane seeming as if he had woken up from him thrashing around. "Might it be…" He moves closer to Kurogane, eying him suspicious. "…that Kuro-daddy is trying to cup a feel?"

Fay whimpers, as Kurogane hits him hard on the head, before he turns his back to him. The mage chuckles gently, before he follows after, poking his back to get his attention again. "Go back to sleep!"

"Or did Kuro-daddy hope that a hug would make my bad dreams go away?" Fay smiles as he could see the fuming Ninja tense. Honestly, Kurogane was such an easy man to read once you got to know him.

"Shut up and stop guessing weird stuff!" Kurogane growls, as he avoids the smirking blonde's gaze. This was the last time he tried to cheer the idiot up. "We will talk about your dreams tomorrow. Once or twice is ok, but when you have a nightmare for each night for over a week, something is going on."

"Ah, Kuro-sama noticed?" He is about to snort out how obvious it was, but Fay cut him off. "Is… Kuro-pon the sort of scary person that watches me sleep?"

"Get the fuck back to bed and stop messing around!" Kurogane yells furious, as he hits the whimpering Fay hard on the head, before he tosses the blankets over him. "We talk about it tomorrow. I'll wake you if you have a nightmare again."

Fay hides under the blankets, nodding as he hides a warm smile. Still now, Kurogane saw through him right away, no matter what he did. In the start, it had been so infuriating to be seen through, but now, it was welcome. He had never been good at voicing his feelings, so to spend his time with someone that knew what he felt right away, was perfect. Their travels would last a long time, so he was just looking forward to each day now.

He was happy, even if dangers was around each corner, because he knew that he had someone who would watch his back. He had strong people by his side that would not fall to the curse of the twins.

* * *

"So your nightmares is about your time in Valeria?" Kurogane asks, as he were helping Fay chop up some fruit for breakfast. They had gotten up before the kid and Mokona, so they could just see if there was any need to worry.

"Yes. Each night, I dream about my life from I were born, until the moment the Lord killed himself in front of me." Fay whispers, as he works on making some pancakes to go along with the fruits. "But, each time I dream, something changes. Everything from my birth to my father's death is the same, but after that, things changes around in weird ways. Either my mother lives a little longer, or my uncle waits some time before he drags Fay and me away. One time, he even tried to take us away before our mother killed herself."

"Did it change anything?" Kurogane asks, as he washes his hands, looking thoughtful over something.

"Yes, the first body that fell into the pit was our mother. She was still alive, and broke her body as she fell down. The last of strength she used, was to crawl against me."

"Did it change anything else after that?"

"Everything went faster. The time between we got imprisoned and the Lord going insane came faster, and it was the shortest dream." Fay brushes his hair out of his face, as he ties his hair up. "But it was the one where my mother cared the most for us. She died from the loss of us, not the loss of our father."

"For me, it is hard to imagine a mother not loving her children the most. Is there a chance, that from the start, there was something else that made her kill herself? Not the loss, but something else altogether?" Kurogane asks, as he starts setting the table. The world they were in now was just one of the small stops between become accustomed to use now. "Both you and your brother were young, and could it be that you might not remember it all as it played out?"

"Something like a murder?" Fay asks curious, and Kurogane nods.

"Either that or maybe something else drove her to suicide? In that dream where she lived longer, the loss of you two drove her to it. If that is so, something that happened after your father died, and not his actual death, killed her. In that one dream she lived longer, that thing might not have happened." The Ninja gets the juice and milk from the fridge, as it was about time the kids woke up now. "Maybe you should try writing each dream down? So you can look over it when you have the time, and see if there is any clues. It might just be that you are starting to mentally give yourself clues, now that you are calmed, and know the rest of the story about your brother's death."

Fay nods, looking a little amazed at Kurogane. Something Kurogane notices, as he glares back at the blonde, as he felt like the look he gave him was one of pure amazement over the fact that he had actually been able to make a good advice. "Kuro-tama can actually be really sma… gah!"

Kurogane smacks him on top of the head, just in time to stop their conversation before the yawning Syaoran came walking into the kitchen, Mokona jumping excited, as it smelled the grand breakfast. "Wow! Fay and Kurogane made a feast!"

Fay laughs gently as he catches Mokona. "We got up extra early today to make something special, since we will probably leave this world soon. Who knows where we end up later?"

"Fay-mommy is taking so good care of us!" Mokona cheer, and Kurogane fought an impulse to point out he had helped too, but knew it would just make them plot against him again.

"Everyone just get some food now." Kurogane snorts in the end, as he sits down to eat, reading his manga as he enjoyed the warm pancakes. He would never admit to it, but the mage made some of the best food he had eaten in his life, together with the kid that took over the witch's shop.

"Wah! Kuro-daddy is so stern!" Mokona and Fay cheers, but is cut off, as Kurogane hits Fay on the head again. The mage pouting as Kurogane had messed up his hair. Then he grabs Mokona and sends it flying. "Wah! So Mean!"

"Shut up and eat!" He growls, and both mage and white bun sits down to eat in silence, both pouting as he had gotten the better of them this time. They would be sure to strike hard back later.

* * *

Kurogane groans tired as he sits up. This was the fifth time this week he had woken up by the mage moving around in his sleep. Overall, it was the second week that he had suffered from these nightmares. He did not like to admit it, but he was sort of getting worried. It seemed that the last week, the dreams had started getting worse and worse, and what woke him during the night now, were Fay crying.

He moves slowly closer, and hesitates before he brushes Fay's hair gently. He had just woken him the first times, but had soon understood that when he woke up, he would be unable to fall asleep again, and would just lie there in silence until it was day again. Like this, he would just fall silent instead.

Soon the sobs fades, and Kurogane smile content as the weak thrashes goes away as well, and a calm wash over the mage again, as he starts snoring content. Kurogane cannot keep a chuckle in, as it sort of felt like the mage was a pet that needed extra attention. He keeps brushing until he was sure the mage had stopped crying, before he lies down to sleep again.

He was probably doing more for the mage than he had ever remembered doing for anyone else as long as he could remember. He had no idea why really, he just could not stop helping him out. After all, he knew how a sad childhood felt, and Fay had lived through an even worse one than him.

Close to falling asleep again, he can hear something move behind him, before slender fingers entwine in the back of his shirt. First, he thought that he might have woken up again, but he could hear from his breath that he was still sleeping. If he had not been so tired, he might have done something about it, but right now, the gentle breath against his neck did not feel that bad. It was calming enough to bring him back to sleep.

* * *

"Fay-san, are you really ok? You seem really distant lately." Syaoran stammers, as Fay had been busy writing something while the rest of them had breakfast. As the youth came over, Fay quickly closes the book that Kurogane had gotten him in town. He didn't know what had touched him more, that he had gotten him one, or that he had gotten him one with a big black kitty on?

The mage's first thought is to brush it off, as this was the first time Syaoran had asked about this. But just avoiding to tell him, and to lie to him felt really different. He also felt like he did not want to lie to his friends anymore either. "I'm ok, I have just been having some nightmares lately, and since it kept coming back, and Kurogane said it might be smart to write it down." He smirks as he holds up the book. "Kuro-pyon even got me this cute notebook and a pen to write with!"

Syaoran laughs nervous, as he had seen Kurogane walk into a diary section at a store, some girls staring at him, as it seemed the product might be more for girls in this world. "C… can I ask what the nightmares are about?"

"My childhood." Fay whispers, and he notices that Syaoran instantly looks guilty down. "It is ok. We are friends after all, so I don't mind telling you. I keep dreaming about different versions of my childhood, and no matter what might change, it will all have a horrible end."

"Like time is repeating?" He asks, and Fay nods. "Like the Clow country that was in a locked time?"

"No, that world always repeated the same, these dreams does not. Some points of it would always stay the same, but everything else could be changed." The youth looks thoughtful, and Fay was unable to keep from smiling, as he really put his heart into this too, just as Kurogane had. He still asked him about the nightmare each morning.

"What are the set points that will always happen?"

"Me and Fay being born twins, our father dying in war, out mother killing herself, and then the Lord going insane and killing everyone in the country, before me and Fay are left for ourselves." He explains, as he draws down a timeline in the book, letting Syaoran look over it. "I bet the rest after that is always the same, as I wake up the second my uncle dies."

"Does each point always come at the same times?"

"My birth and my father's death always comes at the same time. However, my mother's death might change, and the speed of my uncle's insanity. Depending on how my mother dies, his insanity changes course." Fay draws a new line, showing how it all worked out the time his mother had not taken suicide after the death of his father.

"So maybe the key to the dream, is your mother?" Syaoran asks, as he were looking curious over the notes in the book, Fay fighting an urge to joke about how much smarter their son was compared to his Kuro-daddy, but as Syaoran was trying so hard, he lets it be, and smiles instead. "Can you control anything in the dream? Or does it just progress on its own?"

"It is like watching a movie. I can't do anything about it." Fay explains. "That is why I don't get it. Why am I showed something like this, when I cannot do anything about it? Where does it even come from?"

Fay looks down, as he did not really know if he could handle the chance that these nightmares might haunt him each night forever. "Everything happens for a reason Fay-san." He looks up, as Syaoran gives a bright smile to him. It was a good thing that Fay had changed enough for everyone else to see his feelings too, at least they knew when he was feeling down now. "You have done nothing wrong, so whatever is happening, must be something that somehow will help you in the future."

"Hyu? So you don't think I might be punished by my past of bothering Kuro-sama?" Fay cheers, just in time to get a hard hit on the head, as Kurogane had come in to see why the atmosphere had seemed so tense.

"What do you mean with past!? You are still going strong aren't you?!" Kurogane growls and Syaoran chuckles as the two of them went at it again. He had no idea how his life would be if not for the two of them and Mokona, it would certainly be a sad journey. But here he had those that accepted him and his faults, as long as he did the same back to them. "The white bun thinks we will leave today, so make a big dinner before it is too late."

"What you actually wanted to say is: we are leaving soon, so make some food to go with the sake I just bought. Right?" Kurogane twitches a little, as the blue eyes moves down to look at the bag of bottles he carried. "You used our last money on it right now didn't you?"

"When we leave we won't need it." He complains, before he starts getting ready for the soon to be made feast, as he trusted Fay to know what went well together with whatever he bought. It was like an unspoken deal between them. He would pick out the alcohol, and Fay would by reading the label, know what he should make together with it. It was one of the mage's best skills at times. "Also, I left enough money for ingredients."

"I still think the one that makes the food should be allowed to take care of the money, Kuro-rin." Fay pouts, as he takes the bag to the kitchen, plotting out what to make besides it.

"The last time you had the money you used it all on matching jewelry for all of us." Kurogane growls, as Fay just gives an innocent laugh.

"Oh? But Kurogane still uses it!" Mokona cheers, as it jumps up on Kurogane's shoulder, and pulls at the chain, that he usually tried to hide under his clothes. Kurogane feels his face flush up, before he grabs the laughing Mokona. "It is almost like: My honey gave this to me with all his heart! I must treasure it!"

"What the hell are you spouting, you damned white bun?!" Mokona jumps laughing off, as Kurogane comes chasing after it. Syaoran laughs gently as he watches them, looking at his own necklace. All of them had something that would have meaning for them. Fay had a fluorite stone, Kurogane a dragon, Mokona got a new earlobe with a black stone and Syaoran got a pink Sakura flower on his. Everyone had been happy for theirs, but Kurogane had not been so happy when he found out Fay had used up all their sake money for the week. Nevertheless, it had been a nice gift.

The rest of the day went by blissfully peaceful. Fay fixed them one last feast, before he and Kurogane enjoyed some drinks on the balcony. Syaoran helped with doing the dishes from dinner, before he packed their extra stuff into Mokona. Then, as the clock passed midnight, their time in this calm world was over.

"Ah! We are going!" Mokona cheers, as it jumps around to wake the yawning Fay up a little. Then they are all transported. Slowly the warm feeling from the world they had been in fades, as even before landing in the new world, coldness creeps over them.

"Aha, It seems like we might need our coats when we land Mokona." Fay laughs as he could see that Syaoran was starting to freeze a little. The magician's laugh soon stilled however, as the sudden cold kept breaking through and into their travel. The walls around them froze over, and as shards started flying around them, Kurogane quickly pulls his sword to ward them, but too late, as everything around them turned to ice and broke apart, sending them all spiraling into darkness.

* * *

"What sort of landing was that?!" Kurogane yells, as he had barely been able to catch unto everyone in the darkness. Syaoran were looking confused around, while Fay seemed to have been hit hard by one of the shards, and was trying to bind a wound on his foot.

"I think something stopped the travel." Fay whispers, as he picks up the whimpering Mokona. "Are you ok Mokona?"

"Mokona don't know what happened! Mokona was suddenly pulled into a new world!" It cries, as they slowly start to look around at where they were. Fay noticed it first, as was natural, and slowly the others started to recognize the cold palace as well, from their companion's memories. "Ah! Isn't this Fay's original world?!"

"It… it looks like it, but why would we be sent to a world where no one is alive?" Fay stammers, as he was unable to stop shivering. Ending up here, and the fact that he had dreamt of this world for so long, were too eerie to just be a coincidence. Why did he have a horrible feeling that someone were walking over his grave? "And I thought this world fell apart when I left…"

"Hey, this place looks really lively you know?" Kurogane grabs for his sword again, as guards were surrounding them. Syaoran quickly makes him put his sword away. If this actually were Fay's home world, it would be stupid to start with fighting. "Who are these guys?"

"The royal guard, they protect the palace at all times." Fay stammers, as he tries hard to remember just what branch of the guards this was. There had been several branches, and depending on your skill, you would climb in ranks. The highest rank was of course the Lord's guards, but these were not of those. These were marked with a light blue color.

"What are you strangers doing in the Lady's chambers?" One of the guards yells, as they hold their staffs ready to strike the intruders. Valeria's court soldiers were mostly magic users, with swords to use in case their enemies used magic jamming shields. "Answer!"

"Grier Martel! Why are your men surrounding my guests?" A soft female voice, from behind a veil they had not noticed in the room before now. The guards quickly bows their heads, as the veil is brushed aside, and a frail looking woman appears.

"Lady Elda." The leader of the guards stammers, as he kneels. "We are sorry! We thought these were trespassers! If you would just have told us you were having guests."

She waves them away without any more words, and the gang stand quite confused back. Kurogane mad he did not get a fight, Syaoran stuttering as he understood they were in a lady's bedroom, Mokona excited over the pretty lady, and Fay lost for words. He had no idea how it had happened, but the only answer he had for this, was that they had been pulled into the past again, in his old world.

"My, such handsome travelers." She giggles, as she walks over to them, and as they look more at her, they started to realize that this woman looked like a more human version of the being Fay had made. "I am so sorry for Grier. He can be such a sour face when he don't get to protect me."

"Um, am I right to think that we are in Valeria?" Syaoran stammers in the end, as he could see from the pain in Fay's face, that this was the person he thought. This was the mother of the cursed twins.

"Yes, you are all travelling between the worlds aren't you?" She whispers, as she looks over them, and she gives a warm smile as she looks at the shaking Fay. "Oh? You are from this world are you not? Those bright blue eyes." She walks over to him, and Fay tenses, as she brushes his cheek gently. "I can feel that you have gone through hard times, young man, but I am happy to welcome you home."

The mage nods, unable to say anything to his mother as he feels tears well up. Before he can even control it, the tears just would not stop. They had travelled in time, and here he stood before his own mother.

She would eventually kill herself because of him and his brother, and he couldn't do anything about it than to watch it once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews and likes so far ^.^ I am happy people want to read my stuff =)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story XD

Pairing: Heavily implied KuroFay.

 **Part 2**

"Is it really safe to trust us so quickly?" Kurogane snorts in the end, as Fay had been able to collect himself in the end, as the worried woman had panicked and gotten him some tissues. It seemed the mage had gotten both his eyes and hair from his mother, and probably his petite looks too. "We are just random travelers after all."

"I trust you. You all seem like such nice men after all." She giggles, as she pats Syaoran on the head, then the happy Mokona, which skipped over how nice and cute Fay's mother was. "And Fay also seem to like you a lot."

Everyone looks confused at her words, before she looks down at a small form that had been hiding by her feet. "Say hello to the travelers, Fay."

A horrible sting in their Fay's chest, as he looks down at the small form, which he recognized as his twin brother. It was weird, but even with all the years between them now. He could still feel the bond. The weaker magic from the other felt like his own, and their bond was undisputed.

"Hello…" The small form whispers, not meeting their eyes as he just clutched to his mother's dress. His mother is about to tell him to introduce himself, when the eager Mokona jumped over to him.

"Little Fay is so cute! I'm Mokona! Be nice to me!" The boy looks confused at the magical creature, before he giggles, and gives a bright smile.

"Fay will be really nice to Mokona!" He cheers, and even Kurogane had to admit that if the mage had been anything like his twin as a child, he had been an adorable child. "What is Mokona?"

"Mokona is Mokona!" It cheers, before it jumps to sit on his head. "That is Syaoran, the big scary one is Kurogane, and that other one there, his name is Fay too!"

The boy looks confused up, and finally meets the sorrowful eyes of his older twin. He knew that no matter what, he could not bring the dead back to life, but, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to spend some time with the dead before their time to leave again came? Just to spend some time with those he had only looked upon with the eyes of a broken child.

Fay gets down on his knees before the boy who were unable to look at him, and he smiles as he pats him on the head. "My name is Fay D. Fluorite, please be nice to me too, little Fay." The child blushes a little, before he gives another bright smile, and nods to his new friends. He was always so lonely, so it would be fun to have friends to play with!

However, one of them looked scary. Small nervous eyes moved over to the glaring Kurogane, who were trying hard to figure out what was going on. Yet, also he panics, as Fay starts sniffling, looking horrified at the glaring warrior. He looked so scary!

"Ah, don't be afraid of Kuro-tan, Fay. He looks really scary, but he is such a big softie!" Fay cheers, and the child looks confused.

"Kuro-tan?" He echoes, and Fay grins as he nods.

"It is a magical charm, and as long as you use it, he becomes tamer and tamer, like a big puppy dog!" Little Fay looks amazed, as he started seeing the scary man in new eyes now. He was a pet! Like one of the guard dogs his uncle had! "Come on, try it too now."

"What are you teaching the kid, mage?" Kurogane growls, as he looks nervous at the boy, who were staring hard at him, looking like he were trying to command him with his will.

"K… Kuro-wanko!" He yells out in the end, he looks stern, waiting for the big man to become nicer looking, and he is shocked, as Kurogane gives a defeated sigh. Then he walks over to him, and pats him on the head. Wow! He had tamed the big dog too! Just like big Fay! "Yay! Fay did it!"

Fay and Mokona dances around the groaning Kurogane, as the mage and Syaoran chuckles. It was somewhat cute was it not, but Kurogane seemed to have a soft spot for kids. On the other hand, maybe it was just because this kid was his companions' twin?

"Fay-san. Is this really safe?" Fay looks down at Syaoran, as he suddenly looked worried. "I have read books on time travel, and one thing is to change the future, as we did. But, isn't it also supposed to be a bad thing if you meet your past self?"

"I have heard that too. But only that you can't touch your past self." Fay whispers, as they watch as Kurogane decided to humor the child and let him climb up his back with Mokona. "So as long as I don't touch myself, it should be ok."

"W… what about changing the past then?"

"That is not something I can or will do." Syaoran looks sad at him, as he understood his resolve. "I might be able to make a happy future, where my father lives, and my mother lives, even one where Fay lives, but the cost of it would be too great. It might even break down logic again, as me and Kurogane would not have been there to fight Fei Wong Reed. It is a taboo to change time, and I won't break it, since the things I would lose, might not be able to outweigh what I would reclaim."

"Fay-san…"

"You, Kurogane, Sakura and Mokona started out just as fellow travelers, but I like to think of you as my family now. It is a good thought for a person without a family or a world to ever return to."

"I think the same about all of you as well." Syaoran laughs gently, before he turns pale, as he looks at the growling Kurogane, who had gotten enough and grabbed Mokona from the crying boy's head, and were about to bounce Mokona off the walls. "Ah! Kurogane-san!"

"Kuro-pyon! Be nice or no food the next time you get sake!" Kurogane growls, as he puts the white bun down again, and the boy looks amazed at Fay. "It takes years of taming before you will get the same skills as me, so be sure to think of better and better spell names, ok?"

"Yeah!" The boy looks determined, as he knew he had to train and get better. Then he could have his own Kurogane pet too! Then he could ride him around and look down on everyone! "Kuro-pi! Kuro-tango! Kuro-mimi!"

"Don't go around and teach the kid stuff like that you weirdo!" Kurogane yells, beat red as the boy keeps yelling weirder and weirder call names at him. Those two were really twins! Moreover, the worst part was that the boy was so excited, as he kept yelling louder and louder! "It is ok now. I won't toss the white bun around anymore."

Little Fay blushes a little, as Kurogane pats him gently on the head. Wow, the magic really worked, the big man really got nicer. He liked the big man! Kurogane looks confused, as the boy hugged him hard. "Fay likes Kuro-tama!"

"Hyu, Kuro-sama is so popular." Fay snickers, as Kurogane looked panicking over the sudden affection, as Fay did not want to let go of him. "Be sure to not break his little heart."

"Don't make me sound like that sort of a person!" Kurogane yells in panic, as the others laughs at his frustration, as Fay were just laughing gently at the commotion.

"Ah! Little Fay! Where is Yuui?!" Mokona suddenly cheers, as it jumps from Kurogane to Fay, who looks confused at it as he lets go of Kurogane, who had wondered about the same too. "Mokona always imagined Fay and Yuui never being apart!"

"Yuui?" The boy looks confused at the excited Mokona. "Who is Yuui?"

Everyone looks shocked at the smaller half of the twin duo, Fay looking shocked at those words as well. What was going on? Was this not the world Fay came from? They had all seen Fay's memories, so even if he had been lying to them again, they had seen the truth he had lived. Just how could there suddenly be a Fay without his twin? If it wasn't for the fact this was the same world, they could see it as another world's Fay, but it was still Valeria.

"Yuui is Fay's twin brother!" Mokona stammers shocked, as it looks from the silent adult twin, to the equally confused mother. "Fay don't have a twin?"

"No, Fay has always been only Fay. So Fay is lonely when mommy is away." He whispers, as he takes a hold of his mother's hand, as she had come over to them again. "Daddy is away and doing lots of important work, so Fay has to protect mommy. But it is lonely…"

"Fay is so brave." Lady Elda whispers, as she hugs her son gently. "My family has been twins for generations. I myself had a twin sister, but my own son was born alone. As a twin myself, it felt like I had failed him, delivering him into this world alone." His mother cradles Fay gently, all while the twin that had never been born watches confused. Hadn't his mother cursed the fact that they had been born twins? He had always thought she would have been so much happier if she had given birth to only one.

"I… isn't it a bad omen to give birth to twins?" Syaoran asks, as Kurogane walks over to the silent mage, nudging him in the side as a sign to cheer up.

"It all depends on what happens when the twins are born. My mother and father lived happy lives, and nothing bad came from it, but I heard that my great grandfather and his twin had been the cause of much grief. The sad fact is that it is only rumors. No one can be cursed just for being born with his or her loved one. No god has the right to bring misfortune to someone for just being born." Kurogane looks confused, as he felt something jerk at his sleeve. A quick glance down and he sees the slender fingers of the mage clutch to it. Fay was shivering so hard.

Kurogane had no idea what sort of world this was, but maybe it was a hidden blessing? For the mage to hear just what his own mother had thought of him. It might even be able to calm his dreams again.

"Fay wants a twin! Then Fay will never have to be alone!" The young boy complains, before the mage walks over to him, and squats down before him, giving a big grin.

"How about I be your twin then? We have the same blue eyes, and blonde hair, it is almost like we are twins, right?" Fay looks confused at first, before he walks closer, and hold some strands of his own hair up before his eyes, so he could look at it together with the older man's hair. Then he pulls his face down, and looks stern into the blue eyes.

"It is true! Old Fay looks really similar to little Fay!" He giggles, as he keeps patting the other's face.

"So, I'll be your twin when we are here, right? And I'll spend all my time with you?" He nods happy, as he hugs unto him. "And since Old Fay sounds bad, how about just calling me Yuui?"

"Is that ok?"

"No problem at all." Fay laughs, as he brushes his hair gently. "So for the time we are here, you can be a little happier. Ok?"

"Um! Yuui!" He cheers, as his mother watches them with a monotone smile. For the chance of that one possibility, there would still be so much suffering. Until someone were strong enough to make a perfect outcome. "Does that make mommy your mommy too?"

"Oh? I have adopted such a handsome young man?" She giggles, but before the mage can say anything else, she had come over to them, and hugged unto both of them. "Suddenly having twins makes me happy."

The warmth overwhelms Fay, as his earliest memories returned once more. The never-ending warmth, the gentle heartbeats of himself and his brother, and the feeling that life would be safe and wonderful.

* * *

"So, what should we do?" Syaoran asks nervous, as they had been shown to their own chambers. It seemed they were treasured guests now, as the Lady had the greatest power in that country when both the emperor and his little brother was away. "We somehow ended up in a world without Fay-san being born. Could it be a deception?"

"No, I tried to sense if there was any magic involved here, but I sensed nothing. Everything we have seen so far is the truth." Fay whispers, as he takes out their warmer clothes from Mokona, and hands them to his companions. "We are in the past when I were a child, but I am not here."

"What do you want to do about it?" Kurogane asks, as he slips on the coat, as the palace were too cold to walk around in normal clothes.

"For now let us just observe. Even if I won't change anything, I still want to see it as long as I can." Fay chuckles, a warm smile on his lips as he pats Mokona on the head. "What you said about me not remembering it all right because I were so young might be true, so to see it all as an adult might let me move on better."

"Could Fay's dreams have been foreshadowing this?" Mokona asks, as it nuzzles against Fay's neck.

"I am not sure, I am not a dreamseer, but if someone is sending me dreams it might be possible. However, it don't seem like it is from someone else. It all seems to be from me." He hesitates, before he adds: "Somehow, it feels like memories, not nightmares."

"We'll figure it all out along the way." Kurogane hits him on the head, a little harder than he used to, as he felt like he needed it. "If this is your problem, it is ours too."

"There Kuro-pon goes again, being all adult and heroic." Fay whispers, as he took a hold of Kurogane's hand, as he had started messing his hair up.

"Kurogane-san is right." Syaoran smiles. "Together we will find out what to do."

Fay is about to thank them, when the door opens slowly, the sound of someone fighting hard to push It open, before running excited over to them. "Yuui! Play more with Fay! Ah!" The small form stumbles over the side of his robe, before he rubs his noses a little, drying his tears off, before he gets up again, continuing to run towards Fay and Kurogane. "Kuro-tango!"

Kurogane growls, as he catches the boy on reflex. He had tried to fight it, but had been unable to. He just felt rotten if the kid started crying now. Right now, he was happy that only one of them were small. If their mage had suddenly been a little kid too, he would have been unable to spoil him. "I have nothing more to teach you Fay, you are a first rate Kuro-wanko trainer."

Fay giggles, as he hugs Kurogane, before he starts pulling his face into funny grimaces. The poor Syaoran wondered how long until Kurogane snapped. He just didn't imagine him to be a kid person.

"Fay? You aren't being a bother to your mother's guests are you?" Everyone turns against the door, where a brown haired man came walking. He was wealthily dressed, as everyone else they had seen until now, but they could see from the guards following him, that he was an important person.

"No…." The boy pulls out his sentence, as he hides behind Kurogane.

"I'm sorry for him, honored guests. He isn't usually this bothersome." He chuckles gently, as he sends his guards away, and sits down as Fay runs over for a hug. "My name is Hideki. I'm the Emperors younger brother, and this little brat is my son." All the companions' gazes moves slowly over at their mage, as they all had a silent agreement that he had taken everything after his mother.

"AH! That is Mokona, and the young boy is Sylan, that is my new bigger twin brother Yuui, and that is Kuro-tan!" Fay cheers out, as he points at them in turn, his father nodding amazed.

Fay really didn't have much memory of his father. Since he was a strong warrior, he had been off to fight battles most of the time, other times he was off working on peace treaties. Nevertheless, neither twin had ever hated him, as they knew their mother loved him only second to them. Most of the time they thought she might have loved him more. Seeing his father now, he wondered if he might have forgotten how kind he had been. His father's death had started it all, so he might have held a grudge.

"Well, as long as you are here, you will be mine and my wives' honored guests." He laughs, as he picks up the proud Fay and gets up again.

"I am thankful and all, but isn't it weird to just accept travelers so sudden?" Kurogane asks, as he looks at the guards outside, that seemed to be nervous for them. He had heard someone complain earlier that the Lady had let her son play with strangers. Fay was the only heir born so far, as the Emperor had never married or gotten a child.

"Fay never likes anyone, so only the fact that he likes you is enough for me." Hideki whispers, as he brushes the bright blonde hair gently. "He has a gift, if someone is bad, he will know, and if someone is really nice, he will also know."

The boy beams with pride, as he felt like the smartest little boy in the world. Then the rest of that day went by calmly and peacefully, as they were invited for a grand feast that had been arranged for the return of the emperor's younger brother, so he could rest before he went on his next mission. It sounded like there had been many wars fought lately. There had been famines to the east, and some kingdoms had tried to take away the support Valeria had sent for the smaller provinces. Right now, it was getting uglier and uglier, so he had to be sure his troupes were ready to protect the villages so they could have their food in peace.

So far, it seemed to the travelers that the emperor was leader only in name only, and that his little brother was the one that seemed to run everything. They had yet to even lay their eyes on the emperor.

"Fay, your mother and father looked so pretty together." Mokona smiles to the mage, as they had all retired to their room for the night, the sadness they had seen in his eyes gone now, as he had a warm smile on his lips. "But Fay don't really look anything like his father!"

"Aha, I got all my good looks from my mother after all, also her magic." He chuckles, as he pats Mokona on the head. "But I wonder how long we are allowed to be here. I have faint memories of the feast this day… my father will leave for one of the small villages not long from here, where he will be struck by a fatal sickness. He will be dead tomorrow night. Then my mother will follow the night after."

"Fay… do you want Mokona to try and leave earlier? We can ask Watanuki…"

"No, if we are here for a reason, let us just see it through. I'm not so weak that I run away from my problems anymore."

* * *

"No, it is ok Lady Elda, we would really like to offer any help for being allowed to stay here." Syaoran stammers, as he had been picked to be their official spoke's person. Kurogane were too busy babysitting, and Fay were mostly silent, as he did his best to take in everything for later. After all the sad years, he had decided he wanted to have more happy memories for later. "If you want us to, we can help out around the palace. Fay-san can make really good food, and I and Kurogane-san both know how to exterminate pests."

Kurogane growls, as he felt like he was some sort of pest exterminator. Both Fay's just snicker over his pain. It seemed that both twins wanted him to have a horrible life.

"You really don't need to think about doing anything while you are our guests, Syaoran-kun, just keep making Fay happy, and that is enough." Fay beams at them, and he jumps down from his seat by Kurogane, and starts running over to his mother, but stops dead in his tracks, hiccupping before he suddenly makes a u turn back to the confused Kurogane. Suddenly, both twins seemed terrified. He looks over at the newcomer, as an older man came walking in, dressed in the most expensive looking coat he had seen anyone wear so far, and with an iron crown. The years hadn't ravaged him yet, but this was the emperor they had seen in Fay's memories. "Ah, my Lord, you should have told us you were coming for dinner." Elda gets slowly to her feet, and bows to her brother in law.

"Lady Elda… I have sad news to you." He whispers, as he takes a gentle hold of her hands. Fay is unable to look, as he still remembered this moment so well. The words that had been said, that he just hadn't understood at the time. What had happened to his father that had made his mother so sad? At that age, he hadn't understood the thought of someone never coming back.

All conversations in the room stops, as the Lady screams out in sorrow, falling to her knees as she kept screaming for her husband.

"Mommy!" Fay jumps down from his seat between Kurogane and big Fay, and with Mokona on his shoulder, he runs to his mother. As he runs he do not notice all the dark looks towards him, as the travelers could hear whispers start spreading rumors.

"It is the curse isn't it?" One of the court ladies whispers. "All the children in that line has been twins, and now that the Lady gave birth to a single son, we are all cursed."

"All the famines and avalanches, everyone has said from the start it was that child's fault." Another one whispers. "And now the emperors loved brother… if he had only been born a twin."

The mage looks shocked around, as the same sort of gossip was going around now as if they had been twins. Kurogane notices his frustration, as he pats him on the head, mostly to just be sure that he didn't do something stupid. "It is like your mother said, people tend to just look for someone to blame. If you were born as twins, or just alone, they would still blame someone for it. If you hadn't been born at all, nor your brother, it would have been likely all blame would have fallen on your mother for not giving birth to any of you."

"Honestly… I don't get people half of the time… the need to explain natural happenings." Fay whispers, as he looks over at his brother and mothers, as she had pulled the confused boy into her arms, hugging him while she covered his ears. At least he wouldn't hear any of the poison spread about him then. Mokona comes jumping back to the mage, and with tears in its eyes, it hugs Fay hard, as it knew Fay probably wanted to cry a lot too.

The before cheerful and warm palace didn't warm up again after that night, as it was found out that the second prince had died painfully from a sickness alone in his tent. The Lady, who had already been weak, fell into depression. Yet she kept strong for her son, who spent most of his days with the travelers, and the time she could handle, with his mother.

"It don't fit." Kurogane point out, as it was the last day now, and they knew that according to Fay's memories, this would be the night before the Lady took her own life. But… "She is sad and broken, but her spirit is far from gone. She looks like a woman that will keep on fighting for her child."

"I thought about that as well." Syaoran whispers, as they were helping clean the table after the dinner. It sounded like the emperor were less kind when having guests, and now that he was back in the palace, they had to work for their stay. Both Kurogane and Syaoran had noticed that whenever he was close to any of the twins, they would look horrified, so Kurogane had on impulse started to come between any of them and the emperor if he walked past them. He also didn't like the way he looked after the mage at times, like he had seen him before. "She really looks too strong to take her own life. Neither does she look like the person to want to do that to her son."

Fay wants to say that she had, but keeps it in, as he did like the thought that it might not have been suicide. Murder was a horrible thought, but a much calmer one.

"Maybe things will go different? Other things has changed already, maybe she will live?" Mokona whispers, as it looks sad at the yawning boy, who was picked up by his mother as she carried him to bed, before she returns to her guests. "Lady Elda… how are you feeling?" Mokona jumps to her, and she collects the creature gently in her hands. "Mokona knows how hard it is to lose someone you love! But you can never give up! Then they would be sad!"

"I know." She whispers, as Kurogane were glaring at the bun for having an emotional speech that could change the course of the past. "I always knew I could lose him at any moment. He always left for war after all. It is hard to get over, but I know I will, and I know he will be watching over Fay and me. After all, he was too kind of a man to have ever wanted us to die with him."

Kurogane turns confused, as the mage had gotten up and walked away. Syaoran gets quickly up to follow him, but Kurogane stops him. "I'll go after him, you stay here." The youth nods, as he sits silently down again. It must have hurt for Fay, to see all this. Even if it was the same course as it had when he had lived through it. He must have been wondering so hard over what made her break down her resolve in one night, and made her betray her children.

The ninja stops, as he saw the blonde out on one of the balconies. So far, they hadn't been out of the palace much, and in Kurogane's case it was because that world was too cold for him, but Fay didn't really seem bothered by it. Now he sat on the side of the balcony, and Kurogane wondered how he were able to keep from shivering in this weather. He sighs, as he pulls the crystalized ice door to the side, and walks over to his companion.

"Kuro-mu is shaking." Fay turns slowly, as Kurogane were trying to not show how cold he was right now. "This world is really cold isn't it? Those that are born here don't really feel much of it though. I was always the one that wanted to run out and play no matter what the weather was. Fay really got mad at me for it, since he didn't really like playing outside."

Kurogane pulls his coat better around himself, before he sits down beside Fay. Trying to overlook the small crystals that formed as they ran down the mage's cheek. "I used to play outside in the snow as well, but I would get myself sick. My mother would have to nurse me for weeks, while my father would pick on me."

"Wah, I imagine sick baby Kuro-tama must have been so adorable." Fay laughs, as he starts drying his frozen tears off his cheek. "I don't think I ever got sick, but my mother would at times. She was from a less cold part of Valeria, so living here took a lot out of her."

"Why wouldn't your father move her away then?" Kurogane asks, as he looks over the cold world ahead of them. They could see the lights of villages in the distance, but everything else than those lights was hidden in the seemingly never-ending storm.

"Ah, they made a palace to live in at her hometown, and lived quite content there. But because she was giving birth to the heir of Valeria, they had to move to the main palace." Fay explains, as he had gone back to smiling now. There was nothing he could do with the past, but at least he knew that at least for him it had all gone all right. He wasn't alone anymore, as Fay had wanted. "So this palace is all I remember from my early childhood. I know around 5-10 secret ways to get to my mother's chamber, and four to get to the kitchen. 20 to get out to play without the guards finding out."

"Honestly, even at that age you must have been a menace." Kurogane complains, as he looks at his breath hang in the air. It was really too cold in this world, he was amazed people could live in it. As he had understood, there was some areas where they had used magic to keep snow away long enough to have harvests, but it had been going bad for the last few harvests.

"I needed early training to be able to keep up with Kuro-tango!" He cheers, before he pulls the confused Kurogane closer, and hug around him to help him keep warm. "Thank you for talking to me. I think I needed it."

A snort to show it was ok, before he just let the mage hold unto him. The mage needed someone, and he was ice cold and needed some warmth, so it was ok.

* * *

Chaos breaks through the palace in the early morning, as it went as Fay had remembered. The guards that woke them said that the emperor had found the Lady when he had checked in on her that morning. She had pierced her heart with an ice shard, made from her own magic. She had already been dead when the healers came to try to save her.

"This is horrible, first the second prince, and now his wife as well." They can hear whispered around them at the breakfast table, as the silent Fay were trying to understand why everyone was saying he couldn't meet his mother, or father again. "If he only hadn't been born alone, they were supposed to be twins."

Kurogane gives a growl, before he kicks the table hard, and he gets the reaction he wanted, as the entire room went silent. Before he walks over to the sniffling boy, and pats him on the head. He knew they couldn't change the past, but there was nothing wrong with changing small things was there? "It isn't your fault at all. Your mother and father loved you a lot."

"Why won't they come back then?" He whispers, nothing but confusion in his eyes. If they loved him, why had they gone away? Didn't it mean you wanted to be with someone forever if you loved them? "If Fay did something bad, Fay will say sorry. Fay will always say sorry if they just want to come back!"

The older twin comes over as well. As he were wondering just what he could say. He still remembered when Fay had asked him this. They had used an entire week trying to find out what they had done wrong so they could say sorry for it.

"When someone dies, it means that they can never come back, even if they want to." He whispers, as he brushes the boy's tears gently away. "After all, if they could come back, there is no way they would leave you, right?"

"But… Fay has strong magic… Fay can learn to use magic to make them come back… right?"

"No, when someone dies, they can never, ever come back. No matter how much you want to." The boy starts crying again, as he hugs hard unto his older twin, which is unable to keep his tears in either. "But no matter what people say, nothing of this is your fault at all Fay, they both loved you over everything in the world."

Fay is about to ask more about what death was, but is cut off, as a bright light suddenly appeared from Mokona's earring. "Ah! What is that?!"

"We have to leave now Fay, but no matter what, remember that someone loved you." The mage hesitates, before he hugs his twin harder. "I never regretted being born with you… Fay…"

"Ah! Don't leave! Yuui!" The boy cries, as the travelers are pulled into the dimensional flow. "Yuui!"

Kurogane grabs unto the mage, as he could see his resolve crumble. Just who wouldn't, when their late twin brother cried and begged them to return? Nevertheless, this was just too cruel. Just what sort of sick joke was it to be sent to this time? Was it just an accident? Or had someone been pulling a horrible prank on them? For Fay to see all this didn't make any sense! Like with the dreams, just what would it change?

As they are let out of the portal, Mokona quickly jumps to Fay, and brushes his cheek gently, as he had finally broken down, crying as he was trying to collect himself again. Syaoran hesitates, before he pats the mage gently on the shoulder, doing his best to cheer him up as well. However, as Kurogane had been about to move over to him as well, he started noticing the room around them. Just what was going on?

This was the Lady's chambers wasn't it? Had they transported back to the room instead of away from this world? At least this was what he was thinking, until the doors opened, and the Lady's royal guards started flocking around them. Soon the entire follow notices this as well, and catches unto the things that Kurogane had already seen.

"What are you strangers doing in the Lady's chambers?" One of the guards once more yells, as everyone just tries to figure out what was going on. "Answer!"

The first thought is that it might just be that the guards were still protecting the chambers, and they hadn't been recognized again yet, but all those thoughts are quickly brushed aside, as they hear another voice from behind them.

"Grier Martel! Why are your men surrounding my guests?" Fay holds his breath, as he turns slowly around, and there, as if nothing had happened, his mother once more sat, smiling gently to them.

Just what was going on?

- ** _to be continuned_** -

* * *

If anyone wonders, yes, I am a Higurashi and Umineko fan XD Also, updates will follow soon, since I have already written the entire story ^.^ I just need to read over it again. Also, sorry if I have lots of spelling mistakes. English is not my first language.

And I have a headcanon that Fay and Yuui's parents are Valeria's versions of Elda and Hideki from Chobits. But it is a long time ago since I watched that, so sorry if I somehow messed up their characters XD.

Also, I wondered a lot when writing this, if I should have a happy ending, or a bitter sweet one. We will just have to see what I went with.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea for this story XD Clamp is god.

Pairing: Heavily implied KuroFay.

 **Part 3**

"So, we will just keep getting sent back again?" Syaoran stammers, as they had probably used around two weeks of their own lifeline to repeat the same few days' time and time over now. "But if it was just like we were sent back again, wouldn't we meet ourselves?"

"We would have." Fay whispers, as he remembers when they had gone to Clow country. "And in Clow country, the same actions would repeat. However, when we changed lines now, they say other things instead. So it is not a set time."

"Your dreams as well." Kurogane were trying hard to think over this, but he had no idea what was happening either. He enjoyed fighting more than thinking over complicated things like this. "They were forever repeating the same circle, but small things could be changed."

"So… maybe we need to break the circle?" Fay whispers, as he looks through the notebook. "Whatever is happening now, we seem to be the only ones that knows it, so… maybe if we do something about the set points, we will get out of it? The thought of forever going back and forth is horrible."

"The set point we can do anything with, is your parent's deaths, right?" Kurogane asks, and Fay nods. "We will try then, if it goes bad, we will just get sent back again anyway. So if we get out, it means we did something right."

"Let us split up then." Syaoran gets up. "I and Kurogane-san can try to protect the second prince, while Fay-san and Mokona keeps at the palace and keeps an eye on Lady Elda."

"But, if we make sure the prince lives, is there any need to protect the lady?" Kurogane asks.

"Just to be safe." Fay says, as he were still not able to let go of the fact that his mother had not seemed like someone that would take her own life the night before she did. She had seemed strong enough to continue for her son. "And I doubt I can leave here right now."

The door opens, and little Fay comes running, before he attaches himself to big Fay. For some reason, the more they repeated the timeline, the more attached he seemed to get to their Fay. In addition, the more they repeated it, the more some people seemed to accept them being there. The Lady seemed to remember parts of the last times they had been there as well, while they did not know if Fay did the same, but each time he saw his brother again, he would seem so happy.

"Yuui play with Fay and Moko-chan!" He cheers, as he grabs Mokona and Fay, pulling them with him.

"Will Fay-san be ok? He has been trying to distance himself from his brother the last few times haven't he?" Kurogane groans, as he looks out at them, where the mage were lecturing a pouting Fay about taking Mokona without asking. "But each time he is unable to, since he can't push him away."

"If this works and we can get out of this, I think it is best to keep him close. Or else he would just feel bad about it later." The ninja gets up, and smiles to the youth. "Let us go and volunteer for the army then."

Syaoran nods, and soon, the two of them are accepted into the second princes' army, under the blessing of the Lady, which talked her husband into it, saying she would feel so much safer with such strong warriors protecting him. Therefore, the two of them, least able to handle the cold, had to leave the warmth of the palace and venture forth into the seemingly endless winter wonderland.

"Well, at least it is a safe way to travel." Syaoran laughs, as they were all safe inside a magic shield. It seemed that it was the usual way for travelling in that country. Most people had strong magic, which they could use on themselves to become lighter, and thus walk on top of the snow. Syaoran had asked about it earlier, and it sounded like they had animals to ride, which were close to elks, but there was few of them left now, as the villages sadly had gone for them first when the hunger struck. The palace had a few of them left, but they had decided to let them rest and breed instead. That way, their numbers could double.

"I still don't like how magic is used for everything." Kurogane complains, as he looks back at the magician that were upholding the shield behind him.

"Please bear with us." Prince Hideki chuckles, as he smiles to the guests that had been kind enough to follow them. "The storms this year has been so horrible that we would need to work for weeks just to make the road to the village crossable. So we have to wait for the storms to calm down before we can melt a road, or we would just have to do it again in a few days."

"Won't it take more to travel like this each time?" Kurogane snorts, as he felt too constricted inside the magical sphere, and with three layers of coats. He had better get to see some fighting for this, or he would take it out of the mage's alcohol allowance when they got out of this.

"Not at all. I picked the best mages for my army, since we travel around the country so much, and if one get tired, they just shift with the next mage." The prince smiles to the growling warrior, that didn't really look like he liked being there at all. As he had understood, it had been the young one that had wanted to come and help, and the older man hadn't wanted to let him go on his own. The other man, that looked like he was from their country, had wanted to come, but Fay had made such a racket about being left alone that he had been kind enough to remain with the magical creature. "I have been really curious for a while now, but Kurogane-san, neither of you seem related in any way, but you still travel together."

"We have our reasons." Kurogane looks over at Syaoran, who were in the front now, asking some of the scholars travelling with them about some ruins in the scenery around them. "I and the mage travel with the kid, because he has to keep traveling."

"With mage you mean Fay right, or is his name Yuui? I am a little confused." Hideki chuckles, as he goes to a stride besides the warrior.

"His real name was Yuui, but he changed it to Fay. But I don't think he minds you calling him Yuui while he is here."

"I see, I bet he has a good reason for it then, he looks like a smart person." He chuckles, as he could see from the glare Kurogane gave him he certainly didn't agree.

"The mage is a smiling idiot most of the time, and used to run away from his problems too often."

"And now then?" Hideki can't keep from smiling as the warrior muttered something. Both he and his wife felt something connected them with the traveler from their own country, like a long lost family member coming home after years of travel. He had been curious about how his travels was. Like he just wanted to make sure he would be taken care of. He had even started wondering if it might actually be Fay from the future, since they really did look like each other. "You care a lot for Yuui don't you? Kurogane-san?"

Kurogane tenses a little, as he had started noticing it. For some reason, nor the Lady, nor the prince, would use any honorifics when talking about or to the mage. Even if they didn't remember him, or even if he didn't exist in this world, it seemed the connection was still there. "I see him as a comrade in arms. Both him, the kid and the white bun. They are the only ones I have ever seen that way, and I would rather do my all to protect them, than risk losing them."

He looks at the laughing father, who seemed quite bright still. It seemed that while Fay had gotten his looks from his mother, the bright energy might have been from his father. "It almost sounds like you two are parents taking care of your children isn't it?"

"Ah? Just how does it sound like that?" Kurogane growls, as the man just laughs gently. Yeah, he was sure now, this was the idiot mage's father. There was no doubt!

"Well, you are the stern father person, while Yuui is the more delicate mother person, since he does look a lot like my Elda after all, and the youngest, Syaoran-kun, is the son. You both travel for him, right?" Kurogane just shrugs, as he really didn't want to tell the mage later he had accidentally tossed his father into a snow storm and left him. "And it is easy to see from the way Yuui picks on you all the time he really likes you a lot. Isn't it kindergarten logic? To pick on the one you like so they will notice you more?"

A beat red Kurogane is about to yell something in his defense, but is cut off, as the follow stops, and suddenly they are airborne. A quick trip right down the mountainside, and as they are safe on ground, the magic sphere around them fades, as they were away from the worst of the snow now, and in the army camp just outside of the small village they had gone to defend.

So far the action plan was just to keep around the prince at all times, and make sure he didn't get sick. They had asked the emperor how he had gotten sick one of the earlier circles, and he had said it had been from blood poisoning. That he had gotten from cutting himself on a sharp dirty object the day before. So they had made sure to keep any dangerous things away from him, and he looked healthy, so far.

"Well, now that we are here, how about you two look around a little? You haven't seen any of the villages yet have you?" Hideki asks, as he were busy helping one of the mages set up an extra tent for the new recruits.

"Ah… I'll help with the tent." Syaoran stutters, as he really wanted to learn more about this place, but they couldn't leave Fay's father alone!

"I'll help with the tent. You go and check out the village." Kurogane hits Syaoran lightly on the head. "You really want to, right?"

Syaoran blushes a little, but nods. Only the clone of him, or his father, had been an archeologist, but he still felt an interest for it. He had been curious about this cold world since they got here. How people lived with the cold, and how it affected how they did things. He had heard from the Lady one time, that there was a legend that said that the people hadn't always had magic, and it had been a warm world. Yet they had lusted for magic, and thought the sun was the source of all magic. In the end, they had captured the sun, and while the people now had great magic, the sun faded, and left them in an eternal winter.

Syaoran had borrowed Fay's notebook and written down a few similar legends he had collected around the castle. It seemed like the notebook wouldn't be reset with the world, probably because they held unto it.

"Being a father is so hard isn't it?" Hideki laughs, as the furious Kurogane helps him set the tent up, fighting a need to stab him. He would be sure to not let the mage drink for a few weeks after this! Just to get revenge for his father being too alike him! "But having nice behaved sons is so nice!"

"I'll beat your face in, you bastard." Kurogane growls and the prince just keeps laughing at him. Honestly, seeing the past like this was painful. It would be hard enough for the mage to see this time and time again, but even the other travelers had started getting to know the court of Valeria as well now. While the emperor and the other royals seemed like stuck up bastards, the ones closest to the Lady and second prince had been kind to them. Even the prince's personal army had taken good care of them so far, and Syaoran had gotten to know half of them by name through just the trip to the village. They were starting to get too close, and it felt like no matter what, it would all hurt too much in the end.

The day goes slowly, and the night comes, as the villagers had invited them to dine in their meeting hall. The village had little food, but the army had shared their rations with them as well, and the mood was as warm as the building was, as a bright fire lighted it. The fire sort of seemed never-ending.

"Do you think we were able to change it?" Syaoran whispers, as they were looking at the prince, that were helping some of the local kids with a beginner spell on the other side of the table. "From what the emperor told, he should have been laid out in bed by now."

"Yeah, but somehow, I don't feel like we really changed anything." Kurogane takes a sip of the alcohol they had gotten, trying not to drink too much, as he needed to be alert. "We have just joined, and there had been nothing close to a sharp object he can have been affected by."

Both of them keeps their eyes on the prince, that were telling some bad jokes to the villagers now, and it seemed they laughed more by his efforts than the actual jokes.

"He don't really seem like much does he?" Both men turns, looking at the head mage of the follow, Bander. They didn't know much about him, but he seemed to be a childhood friend of the prince, and they seemed close.

"He seem like an airhead." Kurogane snorts, as Syaoran panics and spurts out excuses for the pissed Kurogane.

"He is. The biggest one. But he makes up for it with being a good leader." A warm smile on his lips, as he look at the laughing prince. "The emperor is supposed to be the one to lead the army, and do the jobs like this, but he mostly just hides in the castle and lets his little brother do the work. The emperor is emperor in name only, the one that the people see as their lord, is the prince."

"If he don't want to do the job, why not let his brother take over?" Kurogane asks, as he had noticed that the emperor seemed out of place as well. He was distant and he didn't like to say so, but he seemed mostly just interested in speaking to the lady. "He has the skills, the power and he is the one with a wife and an heir."

"The emperor excels in one thing only, and that is his magic. The first-born prince will always have the strongest magic in Valeria when they grow up. So even if the emperor were to have a child himself now, Fay is the first born, and has already inherited the strongest magic, so he will be emperor one day." Bander explains, as he chuckles. "I imagine the day he takes over will be a good one. With the love from his parents, there is no way that child cannot bring it on to his people."

"Still, lacking a clear leader will hurt if there is a crisis." Syaoran whispers. "If anything happens, wouldn't the people be stronger if they rallied behind an emperor they respected? It seems like even with all his magic, he isn't using it anyway, so the younger prince is stronger in the end."

"True, but Lord Hideki is content with it like this, as he don't want to take any more from his older brother." They both look confused at him. "I know it is rude to speak of this, and it is something that hurts the emperor a lot to this day, but… he was the one betrothed to Lady Elda from childhood. He was many years older than she was, but she was sent to this palace to be his wife. However, from the moment she and Lord Hideki laid their eyes on each other, they were unable to love anyone else. Lord Hideki laid his title on the line, and said that if he had to elope to be with her, that was what they would do. Their father had always treasured his youngest son the most, so he had let them marry instead. The emperor had been broken at the time, and Lord Hideki still does his best to repay him to this day."

"So he don't claim the throne, because of guilt…" Kurogane whispers, as he could understand a fight breaking out over the Lady. She was a beautiful woman. "How about the Lady's twin sister?"

"Ah, it seems the emperor at least loved her for who she was, since he was offered her identical sister afterwards, but he declined. He said quite dramatically, that if he couldn't have the one that had stolen his heart, he would never give it to anyone else."

Kurogane looks thoughtful over the room. When he thought over it, the emperor had never seemed sad over his brother's death. What had always hurt him the most had been the death of the Lady. Could it be that her death was what made him go insane all the time?

* * *

The ninja weren't sure of what it was that woke him up that night. The shuffling of snow outside his tent, or the light sound of a blade being drawn, all he knew, was that it had woken him just in time. With a light shake, he wakes Syaoran up, and they quickly follow the footsteps left in the snow towards the prince's tent.

They had been cautious when nothing had happened at all during the entire day, but as long as their presence there changed everything, they bet on the chance that something might happen during the night, but that the emperor changed the story told at court.

Soon they were at the tent, and as they hear a commotion inside, they waste no time. Syaoran kicks out hard, sending the assassin flying into one of the pillars keeping the giant tent up, before he runs to see how the coughing prince was.

"You are not going anywhere." Kurogane whispers, as he holds his sword to the assassin's neck. There was a thick black liquid running from the end of his dagger, so he had a feeling that the seemingly accidental blood poisoning might have been more. "Who sent you?"

Too quick for the ninja to stop him, the assassin slices his throat, gurgling horribly, before he slumps over. Kurogane growls, before he puts his sword away, and looks over to the bed, where the prince were still coughing hard. It seemed like he had woken up by the assassin trying to strangle him until he fainted. Since then he could poison him easier, and make sure he wouldn't call for help before it was too late.

"W… we need to… get back to the palace…" The prince coughs hard, the travelers looking confused at him. "I… I need to make sure of something. I need to be there…"

Syaoran support the prince out, as the camp had woken up and everyone were flocking around to see what had happened. "Squad 2, 3 and 4 remain here. Squad 1 return with me to the palace!"

"Yes! Our king!"

* * *

"An assassination attempt?" The lady looks at the messenger horrified, as one of their seers had gotten a message from Bander in the middle of the night. The worried Fay had gotten to bring Mokona and the mage for it, since the Lady didn't imagine any good news. She had never gotten any good news after all. For thousands and millions of lifetimes. "How is my husband?" She pulls the confused Fay closer, wanting to cover his ears.

"He is on his way back now, he told me to warn you to not trust anyone." Both the Lady and the mage looks equally shocked. They had done it, somehow Syaoran and Kurogane had been able to change that set point!

"Daddy is on his way home again!" Fay cheers excited, as he skips in circles with the happy Mokona. "I'll show him the magic trick Yuui taught me!"

"I… I bet he will be really happy to see it." She stammers, as she were fighting her tears, but in the end, it is all too much for her, and she falls together, the mage quickly catching her. "Thank god, t… thank god he is safe."

"Mommy!" Fay runs over to them, and takes a hold of her hand. "Are you sick mommy? Do you need the healers?"

"No, I'm just so happy that your daddy is coming home so fast." She whispers, as she brushes his cheek gently. "Can you do one thing for you mommy?"

"Fay will do anything for mommy!" He says stern, as she sits down on her knees before him. "Because Fay is the best boy in the world!"

"I'm so lucky to have such a good boy." She giggles, as she brushes his cheek gently. "Can you ask the kitchen to fix a really big dinner for your daddy? And that they have to take really good care of Yuui's friends, since they helped your daddy."

"Fay will do anything for mommy and lots of food!" He cheers, before he skips out, Mokona clutching to his head as it decided to go with him, and soon the seer left as well, leaving the older twin with his mother.

"Can you do me a favor too?" She suddenly whispers, as she smiles gently to her son.

"Ah, but should I leave your side my Lady?" He smiles back to her, as he were starting to see it now. For once just seeing an outcome where she could live.

"My lady is too formal, Elda is fine." She giggles, as she brushes is cheek gently. "And I will be safe, I have my guards, they won't leave my side for anything less than the emperor's orders. However, Fay is alone… can you please stay by his side until his father comes back? And no matter what, don't leave his side again?"

"If… if that is what you want… La… Elda." Fay whispers, as he looks sad down, feeling her brush his cheek gently. Each time she looked at him, he somehow still felt like she looked the same way she had as when he was a child. Somehow, he felt like she knew who he was, even if he didn't exist. "But if there is anything, don't hesitate to call me. No matter what, I will protect you."

"My, what a lucky lady I am." She giggles, as she kisses his forehead gently. "Go to Fay now, before he raids the kitchen."

The mage nods, and as she wishes he runs to the kitchen, where little Fay were indeed trying to raid it. "Um… I wanted to bring some food to mommy?"

"Oh? Why are you eating it then?" Fay laughs, as he takes the bowl of butter dough away from the pouting boy. "Did you tell the kitchen staff to start on a feast?"

"Yeah! Because Fay is a good boy!" He grabs for another bowl and pouts big as the other grabbed it from him again. "Fay thought twins were supposed to keep together and not keep each other from well-earned sweets."

Fay chuckles, before he reach up on the shelves, and hands him a cookie jar instead. "Of course, but that dough will make you sick if you eat too much."

"Wah! Thank you Yuui! You are the best twin brother!" He cheers, as he starts eating the cookies content. Before he gives a big yawn, and Mokona jumps over to Fay instead, as he picked the tired boy up. "Fay, Yuui and Moko-chan sleep now…"

"Yeah, let us go and sleep, and when your father comes back, we'll raid the dinner table." He chuckles, and Fay nods, as he falls into a peaceful slumber. Feeling like there was no evil in the world, and the universe still circled around his parents.

Even the older twin felt this, as he laid down to sleep, once more having some hope that everything would be ok. He knew this was not his past, since he was not here, but the idea of just one reality where everything went ok, was overwhelming.

However, there was still a horrible feeling. A growing sickening feeling that festered in his gut, and grew enough to wake him that night.

"Fay, are you ok?" Mokona asks, as Fay jolting awake had woken it. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"A little." He whispers, before he looks down at the empty spot beside him in the bed. "Where is Fay?!"

"AH! Little Fay?!" Mokona looks around in panic, before they can hear a small scream from longer down the hallway. "Fay!"

The mage gets up quickly, and runs towards the voice. If they had saved his father, there was no reason for the next set point to happen! Would something else happen, if his father by chance lived? The two of them comes around the corner, and they come into the Lady's chambers, where the screams had gone over to sobs now.

With slow steps, Fay walked to the door. Maybe she had been killed to begin with, but it had been hidden as a suicide? Then even if his father lived, she would die. That is all he can hope, as he looks at the blood covered form before his twin brother, as she were still clutching to the ice shard, that was driven through her chest. Fay closes his eyes, fighting his tears, as he hated himself for having hoped again. Would this happen, no matter what? If she did kill herself, would she do it no matter what?!

"Yuui… I can..'t… see you… Yuui." He opens his eyes again, looking shocked at the barely alive woman, who were trying to reach for him, before he really thought over it, he fell to his knees and grabbed unto her hand. "Ah, Yuui… my little Yuui."

"But… I don't exist here… you shouldn't know me…" Fay stammers, as Mokona had jumped over to the younger twin, letting him use it as something to hug unto right now.

"No, I always knew you… my, you grew up so wonderful Yuui, even more handsome than your father." She starts coughing hard, blood splattering as she were trying her hardest to not lose sight of her children again.

"D… don't speak! If the healers are fast enough…"

"No Yuui, it is ok. I reset this round again…" Fay looks confused at her, as she gives a weak smile. "Your friends look so kind, seeing all of you together made me so happy. To know you didn't waste your life… to know at least one of you had escaped…"

"I don't understand… how can I be your Yuui when I'm not born here?" He stammers, fighting his tears as he was overcome with joy over knowing she was proud of him, even after all the things he had messed up.

"Y… you have had dreams lately, right?" He nods confused. "It is not dreams of the future. It has been dreams of your past. All those different outcomes were all your memories. All memories of the time when you were also caught in this loop. It seemed like it would never end… so in a dream I reached out to a lonely King, he had a wish he wanted to be fulfilled, and I only had a wish that my children, if not both, then at least one, could live a full life."

"You… called King Ashura to get me?" Fay stammers, and she nods weakly. He had always thought it had been Fei Wong Reed, which had sent Ashura to pick him up.

"I knew this would never stop, but for the sake of one of you…" She brushes his cheek gently. "However… it seems that this cannot be ended without the both of you… the power of the twins is the only that can stop that person, but only as you grow older, but experience is more than age at times…" She starts talking off the topic, and Fay didn't have the heart to tell her that he had no idea what she was talking about anymore. "With the power of the twins, and your companions… solve this mystery Yuui, and break this circle." Life starts fading from her eyes, as she gives a last warm smile to him. "I have always loved you two so much… Fay… Yuui…"

The door slams open, as the second prince and the others had returned, just in time for the Lady to draw her last breath. Fay cries terrified in his twin's embrace, as his mother was picked up by his father, as he cried heartbroken over her dead body.

This wasn't right either! Just what had happened during the few hours since they had seen her last? What could have been so bad that she felt she had to take her own life?

A sudden pull and Fay turns in time to see that Mokona were starting to transport them to the start of the circle again. However, as he were about to get up to leave with the others, he notices the crying boy, who were clutching hard to him. "Don't go Yuui! Stay with Fay this time! Fay is so afraid! Never leave me again Yuui!"

"Hey! Mage! What are you doing?!" Kurogane grabs his arm hard, but is confused, as Fay pushes him hard back, and as he stumbles into the portal, he notices the notebook in his grip. "Hey!"

"It is ok, I think I have figured it out now, do the same as you did this round, and then I will fix the rest." Kurogane is about to yell a few thing to him, as Syaoran were panicking and trying to figure out what to do as Kurogane was yelling a few things that the little Fay shouldn't hear. "Trust me, ok? Kuro-mu?"

Kurogane tenses, before he gives a growl. "Ok, but you better don't do anything stupid! When this is over, we are all going together! Or I will find you and give you a beating!" Fay chuckles gently, and as the portal starts closing around them, the mage is left behind.

- _ **To be concluded**_ -

* * *

I am so sorry if anyone feels like I messed up Hideki XD I haven't read or watched Chobits for ages XD.

Leave reviews and favorites if you like, and I will have the conclusion up in a few days ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Clamp owns everything, also our souls.

Warning: mentions of rape, and also blood

Pairing: implied KuroFay

Also a quick note, as pointed out by flying mirror, there was some weird parts in chapter 2, and after replying of what I thought was wrong, I found out that my horisontal lines hadn't transfered from word. I have fixed all the chapters and put in lines between parts, and I am sorry for anyone that might have gotten confused by it ^.^ and thanks a lot to flying mirror!

* * *

 **Part 4**

The ninja gives a growl as they hit the ground again, and for the first time he is happy to see them in the lady's chamber again, as he had feared that without the mage, they would be taken out of this loop, whatever It was. Soon the guards comes in, and then the Lady herself comes to stop the guards, but the next that happens, is something new, as Mokona noticed it first.

"Kurogane… Syaoran… they are twins again." They look down at the small forms by her feet, and it was true. One boy at each side. "Does that mean that one of them is…"

One of the boys runs over to them, and motions for Kurogane to bend down. Then, as he bends down, and before he can do more, the grinning boy pulls at his face, making a big smile. "Kuro-tango!"

Mokona cheers, and jumps over to the smaller mage, that snuggles it content. While everyone in the circle seemed to lose their memories at each reset. He, that had become aware of the circle itself, could still remember what had happened, as the Lady had in the end.

Kurogane fights a need to hit the idiot on the head over the scare he had given him, but decides against it, as he didn't want the guards to toss him out.

"It looks like Yuui likes you a lot." Elda giggles, as she comes over with Fay, which were looking nervous at the people his twin liked.

"Fay! This is Kuro-tama! The one Yuui told you a lot about!" Yuui cheers, as he keeps pulling at Kurogane's face, and the nervous Fay comes over to try too and soon both boys are giggling, as they pull at his face. "And that over there is Mokona, and that is Syaoran! They are all really nice and will play with us!"

"Are you the ones that Yuui went on adventures with in his dreams?" Fay asks amazed, and a look from the other twin told them it was his cover story, he said what he wanted.

"Yeah, we have gone on a lot of fun adventures." Syaoran laughs, as he smiles to the amazed boy. "I bet we can take you along the next time!"

Fay skips excited, before he hugs his brother happy, and the two of them runs around to play a little with Mokona, as the rest slowly progressed as it always did, just that they were twins instead of just Fay. They had no idea what was going on, but they felt like someone would explain it when it was all over.

Whatever curse had been put on this world, it was one of the cruelest Kurogane had ever seen.

* * *

"It is so weird to see Fay so small." Mokona giggles, as the small boy climbed up on Kurogane's lap after he had made sure his brother were asleep and he had snuck off to them. "Did you go all the way back to the start and get born again?"

"I bet I did, but I don't remember anything else than from a few days before you came after now." He laughs, as he keeps climbing all the way to Kurogane's shoulders, where he looks quite proud of himself. "I got a hint from my mother before she died. She said that as long as I and Fay were together this time, we might be able to stop the bad ending."

"A hint? How?" Kurogane asks, as he grabs the feet from kicking his shoulders.

"She said she knew who I were all the time. The dreams were my memories, so I have been caught up in this circle as well, but somehow I just remember the one where King Ashura saved me. It seems my mother had been the one who asked him to come, and just save one of us from this circle if he could."

"But, did she know why this is happening?" Syaoran asks, as he had been reading over Fay's notebook again.

"I don't think she knows… or she was unable to tell me." Fay yawns, as he nuzzles his face down on top of Kurogane's head, making a little nest, as it felt safe to be so small on top of Kurogane. "But as long as we save father, and me and Fay never leave mother's side, it should all be a perfect ending, and we can leave this sad place."

"But, what will happen when we break the circle?" Mokona stammers. "Where will everyone here go?"

"I don't know… most probably, everyone here are just souls cursed to repeat everything, like ghosts haunting without being able to stop."

"But, does that mean Fay Is a ghost too?" Mokona stammers, as it jumps on top of Kurogane as well. "Since Fay was originally from this circle as well?"

The younger looking mage looks sad down, as he gives a weak smile. "I don't know at all, for the first time in my life, I have no answers." Kurogane pats him hard on the head. "Ow! Kuro-tama is too strong!"

"We will find out as we go! All we know is that you are real, and not a ghost, so maybe, no one else here is either." Kurogane complains, before he pulls him down, and slumps the kid over his arm instead, Fay pouting as he sat down on his lap again. "And stop acting like a cat."

Fay smirks, as he lets out a mew, and he is about to try to climb again, when the door opens, and the other twin comes walking in, yawning big. Without a word, he makes out his brother in the room, and as quick as his little feet can take him, he makes a line for him. Then, before Kurogane can say anything, the second twin also makes a nest in his lap, falling asleep again. "Kuro-sama is so lucky! Having twins love him and everything!"

"Don't make me sound like some sort of old pervert." He groans, as he shifts a little to allow at least the actual kid to lie comfortable, before Syaoran comes over with a blanket to put over them. "Just rest a little, me and the kid will try to find any clues to this through the book."

"But Yuui isn't tired…" The mage complains, but his smaller body betrays him, and he soon snuggles content against his brother, listening to the soft heartbeats matching his own, all while the safe feeling of being protected emitted strongly from Kurogane. Thinking both of them had fallen asleep, he finds himself brushing both of them on the head, thinking about how cute they could look when they weren't awake.

"Fay-san's mother said that to end this, we needed to solve the mystery. I can guess the mystery is linked to the assassination of the prince, and then the suicide of the Lady?" Syaoran whispers, keeping his voice low, as he didn't want to wake the twins, or Mokona, that had become their sleeping plush now.

"Yeah. Until now, we thought that her suicide linked directly to the death of her husband, but it is as we thought. She was too strong to leave her children alone." Kurogane picks up his sake cup, still brushing the mage's hair gently. "So, something so horrible happened in those few hours, which made her unable to go on."

"And we can assume, that the time Fay-san remember his mother not dying before both he and his brother was in the pit, something kept that from happening." Syaoran looks through the notebook, as he reads over all the details of it again. "The difference seems to have been that they never left her side. Feeling like she needed them, they would spend all hours with her and even sleep with her to ease her pain."

"So, the emperor taking them away was the last chance for the final out."

Syaoran looks confused at first, before he nods with a weak smile. He had a feeling both of them had slowly come to the same realization. Sadly, it meant that Fay's mother had gone through something unspeakable, just after someone had assassinated her husband to get to her. Then in some timelines, even getting rid of her children for it.

"Tomorrow we go with the army again, and make sure we take the assassin alive. Then, with the proof, we return here, and if the mage never leaves his mother's side, a repeat of that timeline will buy us enough time to make sure the painful outcome don't follow." A happy mewl from the small mage, as he snuggles into Kurogane's pats. "Maybe… just maybe… there is a happy end to all this."

* * *

"Yuui and Fay has guard duty?" The confused boy asks, as he looks from his twin to his cool older friends, which were getting ready to travel with his father. "Isn't it just big boys that does that?"

"Usually, but this is something only the two of you, and Mokona can do." Syaoran explains, as he hands Fay the cheering Mokona. "While we are away, you two have to do something for us, it is the most important job you will ever have!"

Awe in Fay's face now, as he nods, feeling like the weight of the world was going being put on his shoulders. "Fay and Yuui can do it! And Moko-tan!"

"Good, I knew we could trust you." Syaoran chuckles, and pats him on the head. "Never leave your mother's side. The three of you have to be with her no matter what. If she tells you to go away, it is ok to throw a tantrum and cry a little, ok?"

"Are we going to protect mommy?" Fay asks confused, as he didn't know there was anything bad they needed to be afraid of.

"Yes, protect her from all harm until we and your father comes back, ok?" Kurogane looks stern at the boy, who looks as stern back. He would do anything for his mother! Even if he had to throw tantrums like a little boy! "Good boy."

Fay blushes happy, as Kurogane pats him on the head, then he takes a hold of Yuui's hand, and they nod determined to each other. They would not fail! Not this time. Even if they were the cursed twins, just this once, they wanted to break the curse, and bring happiness to those they loved.

* * *

"You want to sleep in my bed?" Lady Elda looks confused, as her sons had been quite cuddly after their father and new friends left. "I thought only babies did that?" She looks accusing at Fay, who pouts as he starts fuming, not liking how his past tantrums were used against him.

"O… one of the ladies told scary stories…" Yuui hiccups, as he starts faking tears. Their mother looking horrified as he starts crying. "She said that if small twins go around at night alone, a scary thing called a curse will get them!"

Elda looks worried at her sons, as both of them were crying now, and as she didn't have the heart to tell them that the lady had probably meant it another way, she pulls both her sons into the bed. "It is ok, you can sleep here with me, and I will protect you from all curses."

Yuui gives a pleased grin to Fay, who were amazed over his brother's skills. Elda gives a smile, as she wraps her arms gently around both boys, which nuzzled against her. "You two are growing so fast, I don't think we will all fit in this bed in a year."

"Ah! Fay isn't going to get bigger then!" Fay stammers, as he were horrified over the thought of not being small enough for his mother to cuddle him. "Fay and Yuui will be small and cute forever!"

"Oh? Just for mommy?" She giggles, as she brushes his cheek.

"Yeah! Because Fay is amazing like that!" He cheers, and beams with pride as Yuui hugs unto him too. He loved his mother and Yuui over everything in the world! After that came his daddy, but he felt like he would love him more if he was home more as well! Maybe he should tell his daddy the next time he came home? That if he didn't come home more, he would decide to love Mokona more than him? Since Mokona was home with them. "Fay is the best in the world…" He drifts slowly off, and soon falls safely asleep, hugging unto Mokona, as Yuui hugs unto his right side, and his mother hugged unto both of them.

The night passed peacefully, and in the morning hours, the seer comes with the news about the assassination in the same way it had been delivered the last time. The second prince had survived, but this time, they were interrogating the assassin, as the travelers had taken him alive.

"Your husband has told you to keep yourself and the princes' safe, and they will return as quickly as they can." The seer bows to her, before he walks to inform the emperor of the news so they could await future actions.

"Why do we have to keep safe mommy?" Fay stammers, as he and Yuui clutches to the hem of her robe. "Did something bad happen?"

"Someone did something bad, but your daddy and his new friends stopped him. So we just have to wait for them to come back home again later today." She explains, and the twins nods understanding. "How about you two go and get some breakfast? Mommy will come after soon."

"No! Yuui and Fay is protecting mommy!" Yuui yells, as he hugs harder unto her. "We aren't leaving mommy's side!"

She giggles before she nuzzles them both. "You are such nice boys. Ok then, just let me get my shoes, and we can go together to eat?" They nod eagerly, as they felt like they had just won. Their daddy would be so proud of them when he came home!

Soon they are on their way to eat, the happy boys running around chasing Mokona, as they didn't care about any of the court that were staring at them, whispering between themselves about the misfortunes that were sure to follow twins.

Everything seemed to be nothing but peaceful for them, until they were on their way back to the room, and as they were skipping hand in hand behind their mother, someone suddenly grab of both them and Mokona. "Ah! Let us go!" Yuui cries, as he tries to kick the guard away, but it is too late, as they are tossed into one of the servant rooms, that is quickly sealed up. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Fay! Yuui!" They can hear their mother yell, as she was pulled away. "Let me go!"

"Mommy!" Fay cries terrified, as they were hitting terrified on the door, soon only hearing distant screams from their mother. Mokona starts jumping hard at the door too, but it wouldn't budge, as the emperor's personal guards were of the strongest magic users in the country. Fay stops hitting, and tries to use a magic spell he had learned on the door, but it just flies off, hitting the wall behind them. He didn't know enough spells! Everyone said he and Yuui had some of the strongest magic, but they were too small to learn it yet! Some people had even said that no one wanted to teach them before the emperor was dead, so they wouldn't become more powerful than him. "Mommy…"

"Fay." Yuui takes a gentle hold of his twin's hand, and he feels their bond become stronger. The problem with being born as twins, was that even if both of them would one day individual have more powers than the current emperor, they as children had only half of it each. However, together they had enough powers, and even if Fay was too young to ever have been taught magic, Yuui had an extended lifetime of knowledge. "Let us go and save mommy, just this one time… let us make a happy end."

Fay takes a hard hold of his twin's hand, as he nods through his tears, and he watches amazed, as Yuui holds his fingers up, and the seals on the door melts away.

"Ah! The door is open now!" Mokona cheers, as it opens the door before them eagerly. "Let us go!"

The three of them runs down the hallway and towards the place where they could hear their mother scream, and even if some of the guards tried to stop them, Yuui easily smashed them all away with their powers combined. "Fay… no matter what, don't let go of Yuui's hand." Fay nods eagerly, as they come to the door to their mother's room, and Yuui sends off another magic attack, breaking the door into splinters, before sending it at the man trying to hurt their mother.

The emperor gives a scream in pain as one of the splinters hit his eye, and he stumbles back and off the bed. "Mommy!" The twins runs over to their shaking mother, who quickly got her torn robe back on, before she hugs unto her sons.

"You little pests! I thought no one were allowed to teach you magic!?" He yells in pain, as he pulls the splinter right out, and sends it hard towards the sobbing Fay, but Yuui reacts quick, and uses a spell to break it. "Cursed twins! I will…"

He sends off a powerful attack again, and Yuui tries his best to remember all the spells he knew he could use and that would be strongest. Some of his memories were hazy after he had become small again, but he would still do his best. All those years with King Ashura and all those spells that the King had let him learn. He rather wanted to think that it might have been for something like this.

The Lady hugs hard unto her sons, as the magic around them were going haywire, but as the room seemed to start falling apart, a shield appears around them, as Yuui was doing his best. If Kurogane and Syaoran had done what they had to do, he would do what he had to as well.

One last attack from both sides and as the energy hit in the middle of the room, the entire room seemed to blow up, and a giant shield appearing around them as their mother pulled them to her chest, protecting them from all harm.

The smoke soon settles, and Yuui looks slowly up, hoping that the attack had hit the emperor harder than them. Nevertheless, he looks mortified, as the emperor were still standing, laughing insanely as he were covered in wounds. "I am the emperor of Valeria! I am not about to be defeated by some cursed twins! You were just born twins because you should have been mine! If I was your father… everything would have been ok…"

Elda hugs her sons closer, as he starts coming towards them with a sword made of ice. She had always known he had resented his brother for taking her away, but she had never thought it had been this bad. He had always seemed so silent and calm! To think that he had planned an assassination of his own brother in silence, and then thought she would be his if she became a widow.

"In one reality… I know it has to be us… For that one chance… I'll keep on going…" He staggers slowly towards them, tears in his eyes, as he was muttering things only Yuui and Mokona understood. "I loved you from the moment you smiled to me… you… saw me as a person, not the emperor. But then… you saw him, and you never smiled like that to me again."

"And you thought I would love you If you killed my husband?! Without Hideki, I would rather never love a man again!" She yells, as she tries to cover her son's ears, as she didn't want them to listen to this.

"Those twins… ever since you gave birth to them… your eyes has been on only them and him! They will suffer for eternity! My brother will meet his end… you will be my wife, and your cursed twins will lie at the bottom of the sinners' pit!" He lashes out with his sword, and as Fay were clutching screaming to his mother, Yuui is unable to grab his hand in time, the sword coming towards them quickly.

However, the sword never reaches them, as the sword and the arm holding it falls hard to the floor. Yuui looks sobbing up at his savior. "K… Kuro…"

"Hey, I thought a part of the plan was to keep alive." Kurogane growls, as he looks down at the shaking twins, mother and white bun. "You owe me for this mage."

"I'll make you bigger dinners for weeks." Yuui hiccups, as he looks up at the guards that had arrived. It seemed they had fought their way through the Emperor's own guards, but had gotten help from the Lady's guards as well. After all, the emperor had made sure the Lady had the best guards, so she would be safe at all times.

The mage looks worried at Kurogane's arm, as it seemed like he might have pushed it too hard again. It had been the same with the battle against Fei Wong Reed. He had been so worried for Syaoran that he had almost broken his mechanical arm apart.

"Brother! I am taking over the throne from this moment on." Hideki yells, as he holds his sword towards the emperor's neck, as he were screaming insanely now, from the loss of an arm, and of his true love. "The assassin gave away your plot, and your guards gave it away by raising their hands towards us. You will be imprisoned in the tower, for the sin of trying to kill your brother."

"Ah! I will reset it again… it has to be reset again!" He screams, as he tries to use his magic, but Yuui grabs one of the splinters, and before the spell could hit his mother, he sends it to take the emperor's second eye as well. One last desperate scream, before he collapses to the floor, and soon the guards take him away to a place where he would suffer for his sins.

Fay were screaming terrified now, his mother hugging him hard as she was trying to calm him down again, and soon Hideki comes over as well, hugging his son and wife gently as he hadn't thought he would get there in time. They had tried to send through more messages after they found out who the mastermind was, but the seer had been blocked off from hearing it. Instead, the emperor had intercepted it, and he might have acted in desperation.

Yuui starts sneaking out of the hug, as he could see Mokona's earring glow. Now they would have to see if they had been able to break the circle. Even if none of this was the truth, even if it was just dreams. It had been at least one good dream.

As he had gotten over to his companions, Mokona lights up, and as the light starts enclosing them, the sobbing Fay comes running towards them, but his mother stops him, smiling to the mage as she waves to them. "Thank you Yuui, I knew you could do it. If anyone could break his curse, it had to be you."

He nods, as he wanted to reach for her, and pull his entire family with him. However, he couldn't do that. It just didn't feel like it was something he had the right to do. The light finally close around them, and he feels his body change back to his current age. Kurogane holds unto him, being sure to hold him from collapsing, as he seemed a little spent.

Slowly the walls around them grows back, as the parts that had frozen and broken had returned. Warmth returned to their travel, and they understood that they had gotten out of the eternal loop.

Light breaks through to them, and they arrive at their new destination, Fay looking shocked into identical blue eyes, as they once more entered the kingdom of Valeria, but this time, it wasn't in the past, or inside the cursed circle. This was Valeria now, as affected by their actions in that one reality.

"Welcome home, Yuui." A warm smile on the other twin's face, as he hugs the mage hard. The shocked mage hugging back, as he were unable to understand what was going on. Had they changed the past? If so, shouldn't he be fading as well then, and would his past be rewritten? However, he still had all the memories from being taken away by King Ashura! "Don't worry, your timeline wasn't changed. You are still from another reality than this one, so I am not your Fay, but by entering the timeline again, you are my Yuui."

"I don't understand any of this." Kurogane growls, as he were trying to keep a stern face, it was enough crying from the kid and white bun right now.

"Then allow me to explain it all." They turn towards the throne, where the former Lady, and now Queen, sat. "My brother in law had great powers, but he couldn't use them as he should, since he was lazy. So, when his plan on getting me back failed, and I in one moment of weakness ended my own life, my sin, and his lack of control, sparked one wish: What if there was one chance and possibility of a happy end?" Fay walks over to his mother, and as she smiles to him, he hugs her hard. "His powers made millions of different realities, all of them working as one world. Each time the world was empty and no person was left alive, it would crumble and start the next one. You Yuui, are from one of the collapsing worlds, but someone with equally great powers as your uncle took you out of it. Then after that, your reality collapsed, for a new one to start. This is the last reality, and only one left where anyone can enter Valeria now."

"So, because we made a happy ending, that happy ending became the real Valeria?" Mokona stammers, as it had jumped up on the Queen's shoulder, and she nods. "So, Fay has a world to come home to?"

"You all have." The real Fay smiles, as he looks from his brother to his friends. "Valeria is a country of peace now, and if you ever need to rest between your travels, you are free to come here."

"I'll definitely come visit!" the mage cheers, all his worries gone now, as he grabs unto Kurogane. "And Kuro-pon will too! He really, really want to drink some of the milk in Valeria next time!"

"I am not you bastard!" Kurogane growls, as he smacks the mage hard on the head.

"Kuro-wanko is so mean." He whimpers, as he hides behind his laughing brother. "Protect me Fay."

"Don't pull others into your fights!" Kurogane keeps yelling at both twins now, as Syaoran looks at the warmer looking palace. It was still ice and snow outside, but the palace had less ice decorations, and people could walk around without coats now. The second prince had really made this country better.

"W… where is your husband? Lady Elda?" Syaoran asks in the end.

"My dear Hideki is no longer with us." She whispers, as she brushes her sons' cheeks gently. "He died from sickness 10 years after you were here last, and I have ruled in his place until Fay is ready to take over."

"Aren't you really sad without him?" Mokona pats her gently on the cheek.

"Of course I am, but we had many good years together, and I will never repeat my sin." Mokona nods.

"But… you remembered what happened in each reality… why didn't you just… not do your part of the set point?" Mokona asks confused, as it had wondered about that.

"Because the actions all of us did had to be decided by our own actions in the past and no one but the emperor or outsiders could change any of it. Even if the emperor tried to change things, he wanted to make a happy end, but only if it was a happy end for him. One time he were able to keep from hurting me, but in the end, he gave in again. He went insane over the years, and sadness took him over. He always remembered the past times, and relived it repeatedly. To blame Fay and Yuui for it all, was just his way of saying he wasn't at fault. He could do what he wanted, and to make himself feel better, just say it was the curse of the twins."

"It is easy to blame everyone else for their own mistakes, it is what cowards do." Kurogane complains, and he is about to say more, when Mokona starts jumping confused, its earring glowing. "Already?!"

"Ah… but I can't leave already…" The mage whispers, as he holds hard unto his brother's hands, feeling himself being pulled upwards. "AH! Your name, I always wanted to give it back…"

"No, it is ok." He smiles gently. "I took your name as well, so until the day your travels are over, I'm ok with being Yuui, I have been so many years no after all."

"I'll come back to visit, I promise! Fay… mother!"

Kurogane keeps a firm hold around the mage's side once more, as he felt like he had a growing fear that he would run back to his own world if they didn't hold unto him. He would give him a yelling later for not being careful, but now wasn't the time for that, as their Fay was fighting tears. In the end, he turns towards the ninja, and buries his face against his chest. Kurogane groans nervous, before he sighs and hugs back. He didn't like being afraid of losing his loved ones, and the fact was that the idiot of a mage before him, was probably the one he was afraid of losing the most.

"I… I really hope the next world is a warmer one… not too warm, but just perfect." Fay whispers, as he forces on a big smile for his companions.

"And has lots of fresh and good food!" Mokona cheers.

"And also some really nice people." Syaoran shoots in.

"I just want sake and food." Kurogane snorts, trying to hide how happy he was as Fay laughed gently. He understood that the mage was happy for a world where his family could be found, but he also seemed to understand it was not actually his family. The Fay he had wanted to raise from the dead, were still dead, and he would forever be. His mother that took her own life after being disgraced was still dead, as well as his father that had died from blood poisoning. He might visit the happy Valeria from time to time when he needed it, but he would never be able to see it as his home.

After all, his home were nowhere else than where he travelled. Where his new small family was, and even if no one was related by blood, no one would ever be left behind.

- _ **The End**_ -

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Thanks for those that read ^.^ I hope you enjoyed the story, and if so, I can happily say that I will probably be continuing it. I have a Halloween story coming up, where the KuroFay gets a little more love, so look forward to it ^.^

Please like and review if you liked, and you can also come with future ideas =w=


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